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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. craft — boats
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. face — part of the head
  6. board — to get on
  7. craft — a skill
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to point toward
  10. sharp — clever
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — a committee
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com